Through the Years
by Misha
Summary: Brief moments in time through the course of thirty years.
1. Part One: Reckless Youth: 1973 to 1981

Through the Years  
By Misha

Disclaimer- I don't own anything to do with "Veronica Mars", I really wish I did, but I don't. It belongs to Rob Thomas and the UPN. I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

Author's Notes- This is now officially totally AU, thanks to "My Mother, the Fiend", but that's okay. This was more first season based, anyway. I started this ages ago, it's just my thoughts on what went before. Each part takes place in a different year, just one brief moment in time, only about a 100 words each. It follows Keith, Celeste, Jake, Lianne, Duncan, Logan, Veronica, and Lilly from 1973 to 2003. I broke it down into sections 1973-1981, 1982-1986, 1987-1996, and 1997-2003. As I said, it follows a different path of events than the cannon, but that happens. This is how I thought things might have happened, and I kind of prefer this to the cannon, so I'm sticking with it. That's all for now, enjoy!

Pairings- Jake/Lianne, Keith/Other, Jake/Celeste, Keith/Lianne, Duncan/Veronica, Logan/Lilly.

Summery- Brief moments in time through the course of thirty years.

Rating- PG-13

Spoilers- The whole first season, I guess.

* * *

Part One: Reckless Youth (1973-1981)  
  
I. In the Moment  
  
_May 1973_

Keith awkwardly attempts to straighten the bowtie of his tuxedo before knocking on the door.

Nina's father answers and shows him into the living room where she's waiting for him. He takes in the sight of her in her beautiful red dress and feels his heart beat heavily against his chest.

"You look great." He tells her awkwardly, still amazed that she was his girl.

She just blushes prettily. "Thank you." She whispers, taking the corsage he offers.

He pins it on her and then they pose for pictures. After using up two rolls of film, Nina's mother finally lets them go.

The dance is what Keith thought it would be. It's sugary and superficial and basically fun. Besides, everyone knows that prom isn't about the dance.

Later, after the dance is over, Keith takes Nina to the motel where most of their friends are going. There's a party of sorts, but after a while Keith and Nina leave the others and go to the room he's rented, where they're alone. 

It's a night of discovery, crossing into unknown territory. It's all about hesitant touches and gentle kisses and whispered words.

"I love you." He whispers afterwards, as she lays against him.

It's true, he does. He doesn't know where life will take them, if he'll love her forever, or if they'll fade away like most high school lovers, but he knows he loves her right now.

She smiles up at him, a sweet smile that makes her face even more beautiful. "I love you too."

His heart warms at the words, they're in love. Maybe, it won't be forever, but right is now pretty good.

* * *

II. First Kiss  
  
_April 1974_

"Jake, it's your turn." Lillian calls out.

It's the twins' 14th birthday and Lillian demanded that they play a game of "spin the bottle". Lianne feels a little awkward, but she, like everyone else, goes along with it. Lillian is the birthday girl after all.

Jake gets up and spins, it goes all the way around and then lands squarely on Lianne. She blushes a pretty pink as Jake stands up and walks over to her. 

It's a quick kiss, but surprising sweet. Jake doesn't meet her eyes as he hurries back to his seat.

"Lianne, your turn!" Lillian calls out with a giggle.

Lianne knows that later all Lillian will want to talk about is the fact that Jake and Lianne kissed. Lianne steps forward and spun the bottle, staring straight at the bottle.

"Wow, it must be fate!" Lillian cries out gleefully as the bottle lands on Jake.

There's a burst of laughter from the circle of their friends as people urge them to kiss again.

Lianne blushes even harder as Jake stands up again. He kisses her again, and it's just as sweet, but not as quick. Jake lingers this time and there's something in his eyes when he pulls away, something that Lianne can't quite define.

It disappears in an instant, but she doesn't forget it.

She feels Jake's eyes on her for the rest of the party and later that night, when all the guests but her are gone, she's staying over of course, he whispers in her ear that he thinks she's looking really pretty tonight.

She looks down at her purple dress and fiddles with the unicorn barrettes in her hair and blushes a deep pink and giggles shyly.

Something's changed between her and Jake, she can't put a name on it, but it happened in an instant. Suddenly, he's not just Lillian's annoying twin brother anymore. 

She'll lay awake that night, as Lillian snores beside her, thinking about Jake and she'll think about him a lot in the coming weeks.

Without warning, things have changed, and they'll never be the same again...

* * *

III. Lost Innocence

_October 1975_

Her mama always warned her about the dangers of alcohol and now Celeste finally understands why.

She wakes up the morning after the fall fling, still dressed in the white gown she and her mother had picked out together, and the subsequent party at Carolyn James' and she can't find her underwear.

That realisation is enough to make her throw up in the James' guest bathroom. She then puts herself together and makes her way home.

She knows she'll never tell anyone what happened. She's too ashamed.

Stuff like this doesn't happen to good girls, she knows that. Nice girls from good families don't wake up after parties without their underwear and with no memories of what happened the night before, not around here.

She was always raised to be a good girl, but suddenly she feels like she isn't. After all, if she truly was a good girl then this wouldn't have happened. Good girls don't get so drunk that they wake up the next morning with gaps in their memories.

She tries to forget what happened, but she knows she never will. Years later, the feeling of helplessness will have never really left her and she's sure that something in her died that morning, but she keeps it walled up inside of her.

She'll never tell a soul what happened, after all she wants to pretend that she's still a good girl.

* * *

IV. In Love

_March 1976_

"You look beautiful." Jake whispers in Lianne's ear as they sway to the music.

It's true, she looks so beautiful in her pink gown. She's the prettiest girl he's ever seen.

Lianne giggles shyly, her head resting against his shoulder.

"Lillian didn't like my dress." She confesses shyly.

"Well, I like it." Jake tells her. "But, I do think you would look beautiful in anything." 

Lianne blushes the colour of her dress, but smiles sweetly. Nothing is said for a few minutes as they just dance, lost in each other's arms.

Jake breathes in the smell of her hair. He loves the scent of her, he loves everything about her. He's ready to admit it.

They've been together, really together, for over a year now and he knows that he doesn't want to be with anyone else. Not now, not ever. He loves Lianne.

"I love you." He whispers in her ear. It's the first time he's ever told her that and a part of him wonders if the spring dance is really the place, but it feels right.

Lianne smiles, her entire face lighting up. "I love you too." She whispers, blushing slightly. 

Jake holds her tighter and leans down and kisses her, not caring who's watching him. Life is perfect at this moment and he just wants to savour it forever.

* * *

V. Becoming One

_January 1977_

"I love you." Jake whispers in Lianne's ear as he holds her tight.

"I love you too." She responds, pushing the jacket of his tuxedo off his shoulders.

"Baby, you're sure about this, right?" Jake asks, letting go of her for a minute.

They stand in the middle of the motel room that Jake had booked for the night, just looking at one another.

Lianne nods and steps towards him and wraps her arms around his neck.

"I'm ready." She tells him softly.

She's been ready for a while, but Jake insisted that the moment had been perfect--so he waited until now, until after their Winter Ball.

It's been the perfect night so far. The dance had been good and they had gone to one of the parties, long enough to put in an appearance. Then Jake took her to the motel room he booked.

He kisses her now, with all the love he feels in his heart and then slowly leads her over to the bed. They pull apart for a moment and they just look at one another.

The enormity of the moment hits them and their next movements are made slowly, almost reverently.

Jake slowly unzips Lianne's dress and watches it pool to the ground.

She steps out of it and stands there, clad only in her underwear. She's so beautiful and he loves her so much. She weaves her arms around him and he kisses her again,before lowering her to the bed.

The time has come and Jake knows that he'll remember this night for the rest of his life.

Years later, he'll look back and remember that moment as one of the few perfect moments in his life. In that moment, in that place, it's only him and Lianne and their love. 

They give themselves to one another and nothing will ever break the bond that they share that night. He knows it now and years later it'll still ring true.

They are one.

* * *

VI. Perfect

_September 1978  
_  
Lianne swirls to show off her homecoming gown.

"Baby, you look beautiful." Jake tells her, taking her in his arms.

"You do look nice and you and Jake even match." Lillian jokes from beside Jake, referring to the fact that Jake's tuxedo is the same powder blue as Lianne's gown.

"That's because we're a matching set." Jake tells his sister, his arm wrapped around Lianne's waist as they pose for pictures.

Lillian just laughs.

As soon as the pictures are done, they exited the Kane house.

They then head to the dance.

It's senior year. High school's going to be over soon.

This is their last year at Neptune High and Lianne wants to savour every moment of it. She wants the perfect year, so that in twenty years when she's Jake's wife, she can open her high school yearbook and show their children documented proof of how special that time was for them.

She's nominated for Homecoming Queen, but she doesn't care if she wins or not. Her life is perfect as it is. She has the best best friend anyone could want and the most perfect boyfriend in the world.

She knows that she and Jake are going to have it all. In fact, she's sure of it. How could they not?

And this night, this perfect homecoming, is going to be just one more perfect memory in their perfect lives together.

She just knows it.

* * *

VII. Promises

_August 1979_

The waves crash along the shore as they walk hand in hand. There's a party going on a little further down the beach, a farewell of sorts since summer was almost over and everyone would be going off to college soon.

Jake and Lianne have gone off on their own for a little while, since neither of them had feel like being around a lot of music. So they walk down the beach, away from the people, though the sounds of The Rolling Stones follows them, lingering in the air.

"I'm going to miss you." Lianne whispers plaintively.

"I'll miss you too." Jake assures her, letting go of her hand for a minute.

He stops and looks at her, and thinks how beautiful she looks in her pink sundress. Pink is his favourite colour on her. 

After a moment of just looking at her, he gathers her in his arms and holds her close to him and they sway to the familiar sounds of Mick Jagger singing "Wild Horses" in the distance. 

"But, we're only a couple hours of apart and I'll see you most weekends." He promises, running one hand through her long blonde hair.

The two of them are going to separate colleges, but they've agreed to stay together and make a go of it long-distance. They're too in love to ever imagine breaking up, no matter what their parents want.

"Promise me that we'll be together." Lianne begs now, standing in the circle of his arms.

"I promise." Jake assures her passionately. "Baby, I promise you that nothing could ever make me stop loving you."

That's one promise he's destined to keep, but he'll learn in time that the others won't be so easy.

"Forever and ever." Lianne tells him with a smile, leaning up to meet his lips with hers.

"Forever and ever." Jake agrees, holding her close. "We're going to have it all, baby, you'll see."

* * *

VIII. Broken

_December 1980  
_  
Keith goes to the party basically to drink his problems away.

He came home from work to a half-empty apartment and a note, _Keith, I can't, I'm sorry. _

Irene was gone, she'd packed up her stuff and left him with those few pathetic words.

He hates that she did it that way, that she didn't even bother to try and explain it to him. He can't help but think that's the coward's way of doing it. He doesn't think that years together can be summed up in five words. He thinks he deserved more than that, he deserved a proper farewell.

Keith wasn't as upset about her leaving as he should be, he had known that she would. They'd been having problems for a while, so it didn't surprise him, but he's still upset at the way she chose to do it. 

That lingers with him, as he takes shot after shot out of the whiskey bottle and tries to block out the noise fo the party.

He's never been much of an AC/DC fan and he could do without it at this particular moment. In fact, he's not even sure why he came to this party, since he's not in the mood to be around people. Yet, he couldn't bear to be in that apartment, he'd just had to get away. 

So here he was. Wonderful.

* * *

IX. Morning After  
_  
February 1981_

Celeste awakes the morning after Karen's wedding nestled in a pair of strong arms.

She smiles as she remembers the details of the night before. Dave's fraternity brother, Jake. They'd both been at the impulsive ceremony and a few too many glasses of champagne had ended up with her inviting him home with her.

Celeste shivers at the thought, since it brings back memories of that awful night back in Sophomore year... But this is different, she can remember inviting Jake, can remember being with him.

Suddenly, he opens his eyes and sits up. He looks at her and his eyes widen in horror. Not the reaction a girl wants from the guy she wakes up next to.

Celeste watches as he buries his head in his hands.

"Oh, god, Lianne." He mutters to himself. "How am I going to explain this?" 

"Who's Lianne?" Celeste asks, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in her stomach.

"My girlfriend." Jake answers, confirming her fears. "Fiancée, sort of, it's not official yet or anything, but we plan to get married after graduation. She goes to Berkley."

"Oh." Celeste says, because she doesn't know what else to say. "She, she's everything to me." Jake told her. "I can't believe I did this to her."

Celeste refuses to cry, but she hates the fact that this man doesn't even seem to give a damn about her, the woman who's actually **in** his bed.

She pulls herself together and gets out of bed, the sheet wrapped firmly around. She grabs her clothes in her arms and then pauses before heading to the bathroom to change.

"Why don't we just pretend this never happened?" She offers, forcing herself ot keep her voice steady. "After all, we both had a little too much to drink. 

Jake can't keep the relief out of his eyes. "Thank you." He says feverently and she knows that he'll push this incident right out of his mind.

She forces herself to smile slightly. "No problem."

Then she disappears into the bathroom and as she stares at herself in the mirror, it's all she can do not to cry. She never thought she could feel worse that she did that morning seven years before, but now she does...

This is the worst morning of her life.

She closes her eyes, willing the pain and humiliation of Jake's rejection to go away, but it doesn't work. Because she felt something last night, something special, and it hurts to know that he didn't.

It hurts more than anything else in her life and she doesn't know how to make the pain go away.

* * *


	2. Part Two: Love & Marriage: 1983 to 1986

Through the Years  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Two: Love and Marriage (1982-1986)  
  
I. Crossroads

_March 1982  
_  
Lianne orders another drink.

She needs it badly. Lillian is dead, Jake is with some snooty brunette. Life as she knows it is over.

She pours back the shot of tequila, dismayed that it doesn't numb her pain.

She can still feel Lillian's loss, three weeks ago, and Jake's betrayal, just a day later. She feels so lost and so alone. Her best friend is gone. The love of her life is with someone else.

She can still hear Jake's cries of denial. _"Lianne, it's not what it looks like--I swear."_ But, of course it was, she'd caught him and that bitch in his dorm room in bed together.

She'd driven to his university first as soon as she heard the news, thinking they could drive to Neptune together. She had thought he'd need her as much as she needed him. Apparently not, since he had someone else for comfort.

So, as soon as the funeral was over and she'd thrown Jake's promises and his ring back in his face, she got in her car and just drove.

That was how she ended up here, sitting in a bar in some small town in Arizona, trying to drink away her troubles and trying to block the familiar sounds of Blondie in the background. So far, it wasn't working, but she wasn't willing to give up.

"He's not worth the trouble, honey."

Lianne looks up at the woman sitting beside her. "Excuse me?"

"The man you're drinking to forget, whoever he is, he's not worth it." The woman tells her, her dark eyes knowing and experienced. "They never are."

"It's not about a man." Lianne replies. The woman raises her eyebrows sceptically. "Well, it's not _all_ about a man." Lianne concedes. "My best friend was killed three weeks ago. Car accident. The next day I caught her brother, my fiancée, in bed with another woman." 

The woman winces in sympathy. "That's rough. But, he's still not worth drinking yourself into oblivion and if she was any sort of friend, she wouldn't want you too."

Lianne pauses at those words and considers their merit. There's some, but the temptation to have another drink is just as strong.

Still, she smiles slightly. "No, she wouldn't." She agrees, thinking of Lillian.

She pushes her drink away. She'll stop, this time at least.

She stands up. "I can't stay here." She tells the woman, then she pauses. "I can't drive either." 

"No, that wouldn't be a smart idea. I'd give you a ride somewhere, but I'm meeting someone." The woman agrees and looks around the bar, then smiles. "I see a friend, I'll see if he can drop you off at the motel."

Lianne pauses, wondering how smart it is to get in the car with some strange man, when the woman shoots her a reassuring look.

"He's a deputy in the sheriff's department." The woman tells her and then moves quickly across the bar. She returns a moment later with a man a few years older than Lianne.

There's something endearing about him, she thinks, he's nothing like Jake, but he has a friendly smile and kind eyes.

"This is Keith Mars." The woman introduces.

"Lianne Reynolds." Lianne says, trying not to slur.

Keith smiles and takes her hand. "It's nice to meet you Lianne."

Lianne smiles in return, the first smile that's passed her lips since Lillian... "It's nice to meet you too, Keith."

* * *

II. Enough

_November 1983_

Jake and Celeste walk along the boardwalk, side-by-side, not quite touching.

Celeste looks at Jake, she wonders if it's horrible that she's not sure she loves him, even though she wants to marry him.

He's everything she's looking for. He's bright, handsome and had lots of potential. Even if she knows that he doesn't love her, at least not entirely.

They've been together eighteen months now. They had gotten together two months after his sister died and Lianne walked in on them to bed together.

Jake had tried to woo his high school sweetheart back, swearing it was just a grief thing, to which Celeste had carefully kept from reminding him that that was the second time they'd slept together. After all, in the end, Lianne hadn't wanted to hear anything Jake had to say, anyway.

So, Jake had turned to her, Celeste.

She knows that it's not the same, his feelings for her. He's attracted to her, he cares for her, but she'll never replace Lianne in his heart. Celeste understands that, that the beautiful, blonde Lianne will always be Jake's perfect woman.

It doesn't even bother her. After all, Lianne threw Jake away, she chose to leave and she's out of his life. That all that matters, Jake belongs to her, Celeste, now.

Jake stops suddenly and just stands there, staring at her. Celeste knows that it's not her he sees, but Lianne, and she wonders for a second, if maybe it does bother her after all. But then the second is over and the look of longing vanishes from Jake's face.

"Celeste?" 

"Yes, Jake?"

He pauses again, obviously trying ot find the words. That longing flashes on his face again, for an instant, then he swallows hard.

"Will you marry me?" He asks finally, taking the ring out of his pocket.

Celeste wonders in that instant if he's remembering asking Lianne that same question, but she pushes that thought out of her mind.

"Yes." She says after a moment.

Maybe she's not sure if she loves him, but she knows she wants to be his wife. It'll all work out, she just knows it.

* * *

III. The Luckiest Man Alive

_October 1984_

Keith looks into Lianne's eyes as they stand at her front door, as he drops her off after a concert.

"Lianne?" He asks quietly.

She smiles at him. "Yes?"

He swallows hard. He has to ask her now. Maybe it isn't the most romantic place in the world, but something is telling him that it's the right moment. "Will you marry me?"

She freezes for a moment and her eyes get a blank, faraway look, then she swallows hard and smiles. "Yes." She says quietly. "Of course, I'll marry you."

Keith knows that she's been engaged once before, to her high school sweetheart. He knows that it ended badly--that's how they met, she was distraught and broken, her best friend had died and her fiancé had broken her heart. Keith put her back together and had fallen in love with her in the process.

He doesn't know any of the details, though--Lianne rarely talks about it, but he doesn't need to. He loves Lianne and he knows she loves him and that's what matters.

"I love you, Lianne." Keith tells her, slipping the ring he bought her on her finger.

She pauses, her eyes full of ghosts for a moment, then a beautiful smile lights up her face. "I love you too, Keith." She tells him, throwing her arms around his neck. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, you'll never have to find out." Keith tells her as he leans down and gives her a kiss. 

He thinks he's the happiest man in the entire world because he's lucky enough to have this woman and now she was going to marry him. Life can't get any better, he's sure of it.

* * *

IV. Vows

_June 1985_  
  
Keith heart leaps in his chest when he sees Lianne walking down the aisle on her father's arm. She makes such a beautiful bride.

He stands in the church in the town where he had grown up in and just waits for the woman he loves.

Keith had been a little surprised when Lianne had agreed to get married in his hometown, he had assumed she'd want to get married in Neptune, but she'd been adamant and he hadn't protested. He didn't care where the wedding was, along as Lianne was his wife.

She reaches the alter and her father places her hand in his. "I love you." Keith whispers before they turn to face the minister.

Lianne gives him a soft smile, but it doesn't reach her blue eyes. As always, they are haunted by things Keith can't understand. Still, he's not going to focus on it today.

After all, today's his wedding day and he listens with rapt attention as the minister speaks the words that will bond him and Lianne together forever.

"You may kiss the bride." The minister says finally.

Keith leans down and kisses her gently, a slow, soft kiss to mark their new life together. "Mrs. Mars." He says softly when the kiss is finishes.

Lianne giggles. "Mrs. Mars." She repeats. "I like the sound of that."

"Well, you better get used to it." He tells her happily. "After all, it's permanent."

Keith can't wait to spend a lifetime with Lianne and silently vows to devoting the rest of his life to making her happy and ridding those shadows from her eyes...

* * *

V. Too Late

_October 1986_

Jake walks on the beach the day after Lauren and Chris' wedding.

Lianne's gone, she'd headed back to Arizona that morning. Their good-bye had been stilted and awkward. He hadn't know what to tell her--he wants to regret what happened between them, but knows he could never regret being with Lianne.

She had been his first love. Even now, he still loves her. He hates himself for that. He's married to Celeste, they're expecting a baby, but deep down he has to admit, if only to himself, he doesn't love her like he loved Lianne. Like a part of him still loves Lianne.

It had always been so simple, so special between them. For a moment, it had been so easy to slip back to that. That was why last night had happened, why they had both forgotten wedding vows and promises.

Last night, they had been the Jake and Lianne of so many years ago, before life had ripped them apart. Making love to her had felt as natural as breathing, an art he'd never forgotten.

It never felt like that with Celeste. It never felt like coming home to where he belonged.

_You made your choice_. A voice in his head tells him. _Now you have to live with it._

It was true, he was the one that had made the mistake of letting Lianne go, just like he was the one that had married Celeste and he knows he can't turn back now.

Even if he might wish he could.

It's too late for going back. He can't change anything.

No, all he can do is forget the previous night ever happened and let Lianne go, once and forever. 

It's too late for anything else.

* * *


End file.
